The Hyundai New Thinkers Camp, a partnership program of HARI Foundation, Inc. (HFI) and the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), brings 60 high school students and teacher delegates from 20 selected public schools in Metro Manila and Regions III and IV for a one-of-a-kind learning experience in oceanography and hydrogeology in Puerto Galera, Mindoro on April 1 to 9, 2014.

The nine-day science boot camp is the third phase of the Hyundai New Thinkers Circuit (HNTC), an out-of-the-box learning program that aims to hone future leaders and climate scientists with hands-on learning in the sciences. Ideas generated by the participants should eventually be concretized into projects or action plans that address current climate change-related concerns of local communities. The long-term goal of this HFI-DOST partnership is to form the next generation of world-class Filipino scientists, or “Hyundai New Thinkers.”

Joining the 60 delegates are scientists and instructors from the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) led by Dr. Aletta Yñiguez and the University of the Philippines-National Institute of Geological Sciences (UP-NIGS) led by Dr. Carlos Primo “CP” David.

A gleam of light welcomes aspiring young scientists and engineers as the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute announces the 3, 982 high school students who qualify to the Science Scholarship Examination, up by 10.7% from last year.

From the total number of the 2014 passers, 3,473 who belong to economically disadvantaged families qualified under the RA 7687 Scholarship grants, while 509 students who topped the examination qualified under the DOST-SEI Merit Scholarship Program.

Qualifiers who avail of any of the S&T undergraduate scholarships may pursue a four- or five-year college degree in priority science and technology fields. As benefits, RA 7687 scholars will receive tuition subsidy, monthly stipend, book allowance and many more. Scholars under the Merit scholarship program will likewise receive the same benefits except for the pro-rated monthly stipend based on the family’s socio-economic status.

The number of medals won from international science and mathematics competitions has skyrocketed in 2013 setting a new mark in Philippine history.

The Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) honored 447 elementary and high school students who have won gold, silver and bronze in international competitions held last year, topping the previous high of 308 recorded in 2012.

The winning students were given recognition by DOST with the Youth Excellence in Science (YES) Award, a DOST institutional award for exemplary achievement of the youth in the fields of science and mathematics and shall come in the form of a medal of distinction to be awarded by the Secretary of Science and Technology or the DOST Regional Director in a fitting ceremony toward the end of each year.

Two math wizards from St. Jude Catholic School (SJCS) placed first and second to banner this year’s winners of the Philippine Mathematical Olympiad (PMO).

Matthew Tan emerged as national champion during the Awarding Ceremony of the 16th PMO held at the De la Salle University, Manila. He was followed by fellow SJCS student Adrian Reginald Sy who was a bronze medalist in last year’s International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). Tan and Sy took home P15,000 and P10,000, respectively, as well as medals and trophies. Their coach, Manuel Tanpoco, won a total of P8,000 cash prize for nailing the top two posts.

Finishing third was John Thomas Chuatak of St. Stephen’s High School who won P5,000 a medal and a trophy.

All three winners, along with the 17 other PMO finalists, will get the chance to compete in the 55th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) to be held in Cape Town, South Africa on July 3-13, 2014.

The PMO, the oldest and most challenging mathematics competition in the country, is being organized by the Mathematical Society of the Philippines (MSP) in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI).